


Opposites Do Attract

by WritingCoffeeAddiction



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dorms, Drama, F/F, Female Friendship, Female Homosexuality, Female Relationships, Female-Centric, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, Love, Mentioned Abuse/Rape, Relationship(s), Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 20:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10047995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingCoffeeAddiction/pseuds/WritingCoffeeAddiction
Summary: Lorna Morello has always been a quiet, studious young woman. So when she moves away for University and finds her roommate to be the total opposite of herself, her anxiety takes over. Lorna/Nicky.





	1. Roommates

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the show or characters; all I own is the writing and story.

Moving away from one's family would be hard for anybody - it's even harder for a person like Lorna Morello. All Lorna's known is family; they've been there for her through everything. Ever since she was diagnosed with panic disorder and social anxiety phobia - at the tender age of seven years old - family is the only thing that got her through it and helped her cope. And now as she moves away to start her first year at university, she couldn't feel any more anxious if she tried. Being around new people always brought on a bout of fear and anxiety for Lorna, especially because she would be living with a complete stranger. A stranger who may not like her or won't get along with her. So much could go wrong and that's all Lorna could focus on.

The University was a good three-hour drive from her home in Brooklyn, making her all the more worried. She's never been so far away from her family before and that had a swarm of anxiety build up inside of her. Her head lean back against the window – her parents in the front two seats, while she sit beside her older sister – she closes her eyes to think for a moment. She hopes and prays that her roommate is kind. New people most definitely bring out her social anxiety which sometimes will cause her to have a panic attack.

When they finally arrived - at nearly six in the evening - Lorna could already feel her heart starting to strum faster. She slowly got out of the car and began to retrieve her belongings from the trunk. Her hands shake tremendously as she carries a box full of clothes, following behind her father. It feels her heart with pain as she realizes that this place will be her home for the next four years - she'll have to rely on herself and herself only.

* * *

Arriving at her dorm, she keys in the code she was given and timidly walks in - her family right behind her. She takes a look around and feels herself tense when she sees what her roommate looks like. A girl with long, thick, wavy red hair stands near one of the beds - near the right side of the room - organizing her desk. Lorna inwardly gulps as she looks the girl over - she's a few inches taller, wearing a pair of jeans and a black shirt along with black converse shoes. She could already tell the two of them would have nothing in common and end up hating each other.

Her sister, Franny, - being the outgoing person that she is - decides to start up a conversation with the red-haired woman. She walks over to where she stands and peers at her, "So you're gonna be my sister's roommate for the next year? What's your name, how old are you?" Bombarding the other with questions gains her a glare from Lorna.

The redhead stops what she's doing as she turns to face Franny. She notices the shorter woman beside - who she assumes to be the sister, and who she'll be living with for the next year. "Looks like it," she says with a smirk and a light laugh, "My name's Nicky, I'm twenty. What about you two?" Nicky focuses her eyes on Lorna and can't help but wonder how the two of them ended up being roommates - there's no way their answers could have been even remotely close. This petite woman in front of her looks to be the total opposite of her - a shy, timid person who probably spends most of her time studying.

"Her name is Lorna - she just turned eighteen, and she's a bit nervous around new people. I'm her older sister, Franny, twenty-five years old." The dark haired woman speaks, helping her sister to unload her items. She hopes that Lorna can cope on her own down here - she's never been away from the family before so this will certainly be testing her.

* * *

After Lorna says her last goodbyes to her family, she's left alone with Nicky - who's busy typing away on her laptop and chomping quite loud on a wad of gum. She shakes her head as she continues to decorate her side of the room. Pictures of her family lines her desk and dresser along with magazine cut-outs of wedding dresses. She gets some sticky-tack to stick a couple of her West-Side Story posters on the wall surrounding her bed. That's been her favorite movie since she was just a young child.

Occasionally looking up from her laptop, Nicky rolls her eyes. Of course she would end up roommates with a girl she has nothing in common with - one who obviously seems to be extremely family oriented and very feminine. "This your first time away from family?" She decides to ask, even though she can already guess the answer.

Surprised to hear the other woman speak to her, Lorna turns her head to stare over at her. She slowly nods, not sure what else to say - communicating is certainly not one of her strong suites. "Uh pretty much. Is this yours?" Her voice a bit shaky when she asks that. She casts her eyes downward, to embarrassed of herself to look at the redhead - who is much more confident and outspoken than she is. That makes her wonder how the college even made the decision to make them roommates.

"Nah - I've been living on my own for years now," Nicky chuckles as she reaches for a can of Diet Coke. She takes a gulp of it while leaning back in her chair and kicking her feet up on the desk. "This time I'm just doing something productive while I live on my own. Where ya from, kid? Outta state or somethin'?"

Lorna takes a deep breath trying to stop herself from panicking. She's never been good at making friends, even less at keeping them. But she's a bit relieved to know that her roommate is actually making an effort to get to know her - the least she could do is try to make the same small talk back. "I've been living in Brooklyn all my life - a three-hour drive from here. Where are you from?" She looks across the room at Nicky. Maybe there's a reason the two of them were placed as roommates - there's always a reason for the people in Lorna's life. So obviously they'll end up getting along, even if they are from opposite ends of the track.

Shutting off her laptop, Nicky turns her chair so that she's facing the brunette. "That would explain your accent," she smirks, "I'm from the city - New York City that is. What're ya goin' here for, huh? I'm just here for the parties." The redhead asks with a gentle chuckle, staring across at her new roommate. She still can hardly believe that the two of them will have to share the same room for a whole year. They couldn't be any less alike if they tried.

Figures, Lorna thinks, she'd be stuck having a hardcore party-er as her roommate. Everything that she had hoped wouldn't happen, is happening. She should never have let Franny fill out that form for her – her sister always nagged her on how she hardly had any friends or social life, for that matter, so surely she would make sure that she would be living with someone completely opposite of her ways. "Interesting that you chose to come to a university like this, after living in the city. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do – leaning towards a Master's in English. I write a lot, and read too." She states, a tiny smile starting to form as she talks about one of her favorite interests, "You can't seriously say that you spent money to live here just to go to parties?"

The redhead laughs at how mortified Lorna appears to be at the thought of her only reason to live her is so she can attend parties. She lets a smirk spread across her face while staring over at her, "Ah so you must be one of em' hard-working students. You gonna teach little kids English or somethin', eh? And I was _joking_ – Red would have my head bashed in if her hard-earned money was only used for my partying! I'm here to get a degree in business; I plan to open my own bar someday. You know because then I can get paid to party all night while I drink!" Nicky laughs even more, amused at the many expressions her roommate is showing. It's going to be quite an interesting year for the two of them, she thinks.

* * *

Lorna is awoken the next morning by the sound of her phone going off. She quickly reaches for it, a small smile on her face when she sees who it is. Clicking answer she cheerfully speaks into the phone, "Well, hello there, Christopher. How nice it is to hear from you! How've you been?" She met Christopher - her boyfriend of two years now - at a dance her junior year of high school. Instantly she fell in love with the guy, everything about him was exactly what she dreamt of in a man.

The sound of his breathing, alone, makes her heart swell with joy. Her smile grows as she waits to hear his voice. "Lorna - good to hear your voice. I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it up there yesterday, had to work a double shift. I could come up today, if you don't mind. What's your roommate like?" Lorna feels her body tingle with warmth at the thought of seeing her boyfriend today.

Her head nods enthusiastically, "Of course I don't mind if you come up! Well - uh - she's not the kind of roommate I was expecting...guess that's what I get for lettin' Franny fill out the forms. You know how she's always saying I don't hardly got a social life and all that." She lets out an exasperated sigh, annoyed with herself for allowing her sister to make the decision on what kind of person she'd be living with for the next year.

"Maybe she did you a favor, Lorna. It might be good for you to get out of your comfort zone a little. Anyway I'm gonna get going - I'll see you this afternoon," the line clicks off leaving Lorna to stare dreamily ahead at her picture of him that sits against the desk. She goes over to it and holds it her hands, stroking the edge of the frame lightly. Meeting Christopher was one of the best things to ever happen to her - he was everything she could ever dream of.

The sound of someone's throat clearing abruptly brings Lorna out of her thoughts. She turns to where it came from and sees Nicky's eyeing her suspiciously. Gulping timidly she looks over at her, "S-sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." She hates how weak she sounds, but she still hardly knows the redhead which makes it harder for her to talk to her. Maybe it was a good thing for her to let Franny fill out those forms - now she might learn how to cope with her anxiety.

Nicky chuckles as she shakes her head. She gets up off her bed and walks over to the tiny counter - that sits in the entrance way - where she starts a brew of coffee in the pot that she brought with her. "It's fine, kid - I was already up anyway," she says while obtaining a coffee mug from her closet. Setting it down beside the pot, she looks back over at Lorna. "Was that your boyfriend you were talkin' to?"

A smile forms on the brunette's face at hearing that question. She nods her head with enthusiasm, "That was - his name's Christopher, he's coming to visit this afternoon. If you're here maybe you can meet him. He's a real nice guy."

* * *

After Lorna finishes applying her make-up and slightly curling her hair, she heads down to the lobby to wait for her boyfriend. She sits down in one of the chairs while watching outside. When she sees his car finally pull up and park, she rushes outside to it. Her face glows with an ecstatic smile as she stands on the sidewalk waiting to greet him. But her heart drops a little when she sees another girl get out of the passenger side.

The smile fades a bit, she looks up at Christopher with a confused expression showing on her face. "Who is she?" She asks, her tone bitter as she points her finger over towards the unfamiliar woman. "You didn't mention anyone would be coming with you, Christopher," Looking over at the other woman, Lorna prays that he isn't doing anything with her - she hopes he isn't cheating on her, there's no way she'd be able to live with such a predicament.

While wrapping Lorna in a tight embrace, he presses a kiss to her lips and smiles. "Oh you remember Angela, don't you? My brother's girlfriend. She's thinking about coming here next year so I offered for her to come up with me today - so she could kind of get a feel for the campus and everything. Sorry it was a last minute thing or I woulda told ya sooner." He says, secretly hoping she buys his excuse. In an effort to keep her convinced, he pulls her in for another kiss - allowing his hands to trace down her body.

* * *

They follow Lorna up to her dorm - giving each other secret glances when she's not paying attention. Once she keys in her code the door opens and the three of them enter. She notices her roommate is still there - immediately turning to them when she hears their footsteps. Nicky stares right at Lorna, quirking her eyebrows as if to silently ask who the other woman is. "This is my roommate, Nicky," she states, looking at her boyfriend. Then she glances back at the redhead, "This is Christopher - _my_ boyfriend - and Angela, his brother's girlfriend." She nearly spits out the last part, not entirely believing it.

Nicky musters up a fake smile to give to the strangers - she can tell there's something going on between them and that this Lorna girl is too naive to notice it. "Nice to meet the two of you - Did the three of you graduate from the same high school?" She asks, inwardly rolling her eyes. It's so obvious that the two have feelings for each other and are trying their hardest to keep the tiny brunette from finding out.

Before Lorna can even open her mouth to say anything, Christopher speaks up. "Lorna and I did. Angela lives up in Albany - she graduates next summer. Where are you from? Are you from the city? You look like a city-type of woman." He looks her over, taking in every aspect of her body. He notices faded track marks on her arms and shakes his head, "Guess you shot yourself up with heroine too! Definitely must be from the city then - where else ya gonna sell drugs, huh?"

Shocked at how rude her boyfriend's being, Lorna gives him a dark stare while lightly slapping him on the shoulder. "Stop it, Christopher! Don't just assume things about people you don't know, that's really ignorant." She gives an apologetic look over to Nicky - hoping she doesn't hate her now. She would never forgive Christopher if he ruins her year by having her own roommate completely despise and ignore her. So when she sees the redhead shrug her shoulders with a smirk she feels a bit relieved.

Unfortunately Christopher doesn't let up as he roughly grabs Lorna by the shoulders, angrily looking into her eyes. He refuses to let his girlfriend spend a year living with some former drug dealer. "First of all - do not fucking slap me! Or you'll be dead sorry! And second, I'm not fucking assuming things about her. There's evidence clearly on her arms that she used to shoot herself up with fucking heroine. And there is no way in hell that you're gonna live with a roommate like that! You ain't doing drugs Lorna - your family and myself will disown you if you do. You better find yourself another roommate." He yells in her face - not caring when tears start to fall from her eyes.

"Christopher - that's enough," Lorna cries out, pushing him away from her. She timidly looks up at him, hurt clearly shown in her dark brown eyes. "You don't get to tell me who I can and can't be roommates with - that's my choice. And I'm staying right here, it's none of my and certainly not your business what Nicky's done in her past. So just stop it Christopher." She sniffles, walking over to her desk and sitting down in the chair. She can't believe how rude he's been - he never acted in such a way before.

Nicky can't help but give a quick glare over towards the light-haired man. Not just out of anger for her own self but also at the fact that he would threaten to hurt such a tiny woman as Lorna. "You think because she's living with a former drug-user that she's gonna end up doing drugs? Really - are you that stupid? Do you have that little faith in your girlfriend? Besides this a fucking state university, you know how much trouble I'd get in if I got caught with drugs? I'm not a moron and I gave them up years ago. And even if I was still doing them I certainly wouldn't force Lorna to use them." She rolls her eyes as she sticks her middle finger up at Christopher - she has no idea what Lorna even sees in the guy.

Shaking his head in a rage he goes over to the distraught brunette. He forces her to stand up and grabs her by the shoulders, shaking her harshly. "Let's make one thing clear - if you don't get a new roommate, we're done. I fucking mean it - you're already messed up in the head, Lorna, you don't need to be even worse by using drugs! Oh wait until your parents find out, they're gonna be just thrilled." Christopher merely growls while lifting his hand to slap her across the face.

Seeing what's going on, Nicky angrily gets up and walks over to them. She yanks Christopher away from the now trembling brunette, glaring darkly into his eyes. "I think it's best you and that friend of yours leave. You've done enough damage for one day," she shouts as she stares at him with a rage boiling inside, "I mean it - get the fuck out _now_!" She pushes him along with Angela out of the room and into the hallway, she closes the door behind her. There's something she needs to say without her roommate hearing. "You're a real asshole - you know that, Christopher? Yelling at your girlfriend like that - who only wanted to spend her afternoon visiting with the man she loved. And you bring along another woman? Can you be any colder towards her? You may be foolin' Lorna but you sure as hell aren't foolin' me. It's so fucking obvious that you and this _Angela_ are cheating on your significant others with each other. That's fucking cruel - playin' around with other's true feelings like that. Now I may have just met Lorna last night but I don't care - I will make your life hell if you hurt her anymore than you already have. I'll track down where ya live and come re-arrange your face. So whatever's going on between you and Angela, it stops - now. I won't mention it to Lorna if you stop right now. But if you refuse than I'm telling her. You have five seconds to make up your damn mind!"

"Oh please," Christopher seethes, rolling his eyes. "Like she would believe you - she barely knows you. Besides you have no right to assume I'm the bad guy here - Lorna's got some hefty issues. She's a lot of fucking work. She has at least two panic attacks a day and she's fucking scared of people. So excuse me for wanting a break fom that! She's too caught up in her own world to notice what's going on anyway, so it's no big deal. You sure you wanna be stuck with a freak like her? You know - now that I think about it maybe her using drugs would be a good thing, maybe that'll make her a normal person." He laughs, along with Angela, and shakes his head.

Rage enters Nicky's brown eyes as she stares at the laughing man. "You're a fucking scumbag!" She yells at him, her face reddening with the amount of anger she's feeling inside. "You're justifying your actions by using your girlfriend's mental illness?! No - you don't get to do that! She's the one who has to deal with her symptoms, you don't. You're a fucking worthless piece of shit, Christopher! And quite frankly, you don't deserve to be with Lorna. I'm not stuck with a freak like her - she's not a freak, and I'm very happy to have her as my roommate. Now why don't you and Angela just get the fucking hell out of here so that I can go take care of and comfort your girlfriend - more like your soon-to-be ex." She flips them off before entering back into her room, slamming the door loudly behind her.

* * *

Lorna lay sobbing on her bed, curled onto her side. She feels her stomach churn at the thought of their relationship ending - Christopher was supposed to be her soulmate. How could she live in a world where she's without the man that she loves so deeply? Tears fall from her eyes in truck-loads. She hates that she's so far away from home right now - far away from her older sister, who knew exactly what to say to get her through a painful break-up.

Seeing her roommate in such a state brings an overwhelming amount of sadness to Nicky's eyes. She gently walks over to her, placing a comforting hand onto her back and rubbing it in soothing circles. "I'm so sorry for what happened with your boyfriend, kid. That was absolutely disrespectful of him to treat you in such a way! Are you okay?" She gently asks, looking sadly down at her.

Shaking her head timidly, Lorna slowly turns so that she's looking right at Nicky. Her eyes are glazed over in tears and pain. What a way to start off the semester, she thinks to herself. "No - I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let him come, it was rude of him to say what he said about you. I don't know what his deal is - I have never seen him so angry before. Maybe he's just upset at how far away from each other we are. That must be taking a toll on him as well," she sniffles as she casts her eyes out the window. They go wide when she notices something she wishes she had to never see. More tears come rolling down her cheeks, "How - how can he - he be doing this? He lied right to my face - telling me that she was here to look at the school... And now - now he's out there having a full on make-out session with her! God, I'm such a fuckin' idiot - I should have known this was happening." She sobs louder as holds onto frame of the window.

" _He's_ the fuckin' idiot here, kid," Nicky's voice rasps while she makes her way over to the brunette, sitting down beside her and pulling her into a hug. She runs a hand comfortingly through her hair, "I can go out there and beat his ass if you'd like. I have no problem doing so!" The redhead says with a small chuckle, gaining her a tiny laugh in response. She smiles gently at the other - realizing that the two of them will get along just fine, and that there's something about Lorna that makes her heart beat a little faster.

Lorna wipes her tears before reaching to open the window. She quickly goes over to her desk and grabs a pencil, carries it back over to the window where she carefully aims to throw it at Christopher's head. Watching as it falls, a pleasing smile spreads on her face. When it finally hits him right on the head, Lorna can't help but laugh at the sound of his yelp and utter confusion. She sticks her head out of the window while flipping the two of them off, "I'm done with you Christopher - have fun with that whore of yours! I hear she's slept around with all the guys up in Albany!"

Laughing behind her, Nicky is astonished at what she just witnessed. But it makes her happy that the two of them are roommates - Lorna is a very intriguing woman and Nicky definitely plans to learn all about her.


	2. Growing Friendship

The semester is nearly half-way through and Lorna's life couldn't be any better. She was doing exceedingly well in all of her classes, formed a tight friendship with Nicky, and even found herself a new boyfriend - a boyfriend that Nicky absolutely can't stand, and believes does not deserve to be with someone such as Lorna. Of course she doesn't mention anything to Lorna about it, not wanting to ruin her happiness or anything like that. But there's something very odd about her current boyfriend, and she will certainly figure out what that is. She doesn't want the brunette woman to have to endure another round of heartbreak.

* * *

Winter is nearing as the green leaves start to harden and fall from the trees. And brings with it a bout of seasonal depression for Lorna to work through. Ever since she was a little girl, winter always caused her to feel isolated and run down. That could have had to do with the fact that most of her time spent in the winters was inside and dealing with constant colds. Being a naturalistic person, Lorna loved the time she spent outside – one of the many activities that kept her anxieties down and under better control. So when the cold snowy weather of good ole' New York rolls in it tends to put a damper on her mood.

* * *

It's a Friday night and most of the college students are out at parties, drinking and dancing the night away. Not Lorna though – she's spending her night studying for an exam that is still weeks away. And besides, she has plans with her boyfriend in the morning; she shouldn't give herself a hangover the next day, especially when he would most certainly scold her for that. Now that she thinks about it – he tends to get angry with her for a lot of the things that she does, he's even had the tendency to hit her a few times. Sometimes the bruises he leaves are so visible that she has to make sure to wear long sleeves – not wanting them to be noticed, especially not by Nicky who already can't stand the man.

* * *

As Lorna continues to focus on the laptop screen in front of her, she jumps out of her seat when she hears the door creak open. She peaks her head up from behind the screen and stares into the drunken eyes of her roommate. "How much did you have to drink, Nicky? You seem to barely be able to hold yourself up," she gets up from her desk and briskly makes her way over to Nicky. The taller woman just stands there, staring dazedly down at Lorna.

A sly smile on her face, Nicky continues to stare at her brunette roommate. She never could pass up a party and especially not when alcohol was involved - both thrilled her to no end, just as Lorna had. That's why she couldn't help but find herself pulling the smaller woman close to her and gently pushing her towards her bed. She knows this is a terrible decision and she will definitely regret it in the morning, but being as drunk as she is now she has no care in the world.

"Nicky - what, what are you doing? I have a boyfriend, you know that -" Lorna can't finish her sentence as her body is overwhelmed in the most pleasurable experience she's ever had. She grips her hands tightly onto the redhead's shoulders while moaning out her name - trying so hard to make sure the whole building can't hear her. When Nicky caresses her right between the legs, all she can do is close her eyes and take in how breathtaking everything the older woman has done to her makes her feel.

Seeing the brunette nearly break apart at what she's done to her brings a satisfying smirk to Nicky's face. She takes Lorna's face in her hands and caresses both of her porcelain-like cheeks. "Does Vinny ever make you feel this good, kid? I bet not," she questions in reference to her current boyfriend. A man she trusts nowhere near her frail, petite roommate - he's only tolerated by her in an effort to keep the younger woman happy.

Nicky continues to bring pleasure to Lorna - who's not able to find the will to say no - and brushes her fingers gently up and down her body. When her hands make their way underneath the brunette's shirt and tenderly begin to stroke her skin, she can see out of the corner of her eye a wince and painful expression come off of Lorna's face and immediately she stops what she's doing. Concern washes over her as she carefully lifts her shirt to inspect the cause of her pain. What she sees makes her heart pound harder, "How the hell did you get this bruise?! Did Vinny do this to you, kid?" Her face reddens with anger - she knew he was no good for her.

Tears in her eyes, Lorna quickly pulls away and folds her arms over her stomach as to not let her see it. "Of course Vinny didn't do this - he's such a sweet guy, he would never harm a fly... I - I tripped the other day and that's how that got there," she tries to sound convincing but fails miserably as she can't stop her body from trembling or her eyes from watering. Whatever he did to her tomorrow - she knows she'll deserve it, she just spent the last half an hour cheating on him.

Shaking her head in disbelief Nicky gets up and walks over to her. She turns her around so that they're facing each other and instantly wraps her in her arms when she sees how distraught she is. "You can be honest with me, kid. If he's hurting you, then you better fucking tell me! You don't deserve to be treated like a damn human punching bag!" She firmly says, staring sternly into the other's glazed dark eyes.

"He - he gets angry sometimes, and - and then I-I end up with a few - a few bruises," Lorna sobs out, angry that she's had to mention this to her roommate. She knew how impulsive Nicky could get and definitely didn't want her to end up beating Vinny to death. "He doesn't mean it though - deep down he really is a good person..." Even she doesn't believe that to be true anymore - but she's too frightened of what he would do to her if she ended things.

Nicky rolls her eyes, "He's not a good person - not when he fuckin' puts his hands on you! I swear to God I'm gonna fucking kill him tomorrow - you're done with him, Lorna." She holds her distressed roommate close, stroking her hair soothingly. How could anyone ever even think about hurting such a sweet young woman as Lorna? Just the thought of it makes Nicky sick to her stomach. She presses a gentle kiss to the brunette's head. "Where else has he hurt you, kid? Your arms? Legs?" She tries to keep her voice soft but can't help the anger she's feeling towards the man who did this to her.

At this point Lorna can barely find the words to speak - all she can do is cry and lift her sleeves to point out the many faded and fresh bruises that cover her porcelain arms. She has absolutely no luck when it comes to men - either she's being cheated on or she's being beat on. Maybe she's not meant to be with a man or have a family - maybe she's only meant to be here for the amusement of others. The thought brings more tears to her eyes and causes her body to shake as she nearly collapses into the other's arms. "I-I guess I'm-I'm not m-meant to be happy..."

Nicky can feel her own eyes welling up with tears as she stares at the many bruises covering her best friend's arms. How could someone do that to a person such as Lorna? She sadly thinks, pulling the sobbing brunette closer in her arms. "What a piece of shit that Vinny is - he doesn't deserve you and when he comes tomorrow, you will let me deal with him. He's not coming anywhere near you - ever! What the fuck could you have done to make him hurt you this damn bad? Nothing because you are the sweetest woman on the planet...He had no business putting his hands on you, kid and I'm gonna make his life hell now." Her eyes soft with empathy, she carries Lorna to her bed and gently lies down with her - holding her softly in her strong arms. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head she whispers, "You are meant to be happy, kid. Just not with Vinny - he's the scum of the Earth and deserves no part of you."

"Then with who? Because so far every man that I've been with has turned out to either cheat on me or abuse me," Tears stream down her cheeks as she looks up at Nicky's gentle eyes. "Maybe - maybe I'm just unlovable or something cause it seems all I do is turn people away from me." She sobs out - she doesn't think she'll ever find love.

The redhead can feel her heart slowly ripping inside of her at how Lorna thinks of herself. She shakes her head while running a hand comfortingly through her wavy dark hair. "No, Lorna - you're not unlovable! You just deserve to be loved by people who won't hurt you...And those two - Christopher and Vinny - they're assholes and are the unlovable ones here," she soothes, kissing her forehead tenderly as she uses one hand to caress her cheek and the other to rub her back. "You are very lovable, kid - you're a sweet, beautiful woman with a gentle heart. And you have such gorgeous brown eyes that could light the entire planet up with astonishment. No one is as captivating as you are, Lorna." A warm smile is on her face as she stares lovingly into the other's eyes, not really caring that she just secretly confessed her feelings that she's been keeping locked away for her petite stunning roommate. She twirls her fingers around Lorna's hair, "I love you, Lorna. And I will never ever use my hands to bring you harm - you are a delicate and precious woman, you should only be treated with the utmost love and care. I will, though, use my hands to strangle the hell out of Vinny tomorrow." She kisses her head gently and then lays it against her chest. Wrapping the blankets gently around the both of them, Nicky smiles down at Lorna - who's already drifted into a peaceful sleep - while stroking her hair over and over until sleep claims herself as well.

* * *

Loud knocking wakes both women from their slumbers and brings a frightened expression to Lorna's face as she realizes who it is. Nicky gives her a loving squeeze, pressing a soothing kiss to her head, "It's okay, kid. I'll deal with him - go back to sleep if ya want, baby." She softly says while laying her back down, then quickly hurries to the door. She braces herself before she opens it - growing angrier at how hard he's knocking on it.

When she finally opens the door, she comes face to face with a rage-stricken Vinny. Her face reddens with anger as she yanks him out into the hallway, shutting the door before he has a chance to get to Lorna. "You think it's okay to hurt Lorna?! What the fuck is wrong with you? She's barely five foot tall and you're gonna treat her like she's your personal punching bag?" Her hands ball into fists as she darkly stares up at him. She tries to control the urge to kill him - what good would it do for Lorna if she ended up getting herself thrown in prison?

"What makes you think I would do that to her? I love Lorna! She knows that!" Vinny yells back, unbelievably mad that his girlfriend had the nerve to tell her about what was going on. And surely wasn't about to let that slide. As soon as he gets Lorna alone, he is most definitely going to teach her lesson. This will be the last time she ever speaks to anyone about the abuse.

Nicky shakes her head, harshly grabbing him by the shoulders and glaring darkly into his eyes, "If you loved her then you wouldn't fucking put your hands on her! Don't fuckin' lie - I know damn well those bruises are from you! And you aren't going anywhere near her again. Don't even try because I'll beat you until you can't move." She growls at him - very tempted to grab him by the neck and strangle him to death. It disgusts her to think that this man had the audacity to purposely cause pain to her best friend. "You and Lorna are over - I'm not letting you anywhere near her, you fucking hurt her. And for what? What possible reason could you have to hurt her? She's the sweetest woman ever - there's no way she did anything to you. All she did was love you! She loved you with her whole damn heart and you crushed her. You're not worthy of being loved by someone so precious as Lorna! Just get the fuck outta here - I can't look at you anymore." She shoves him down the hall, flipping him off, and then swiftly makes her way back into the dorm.

* * *

When she enters the room, she sees Lorna curled up on her bed as silent tears are shed from her eyes. Her rage immediately softens into love and empathy as she gently makes her way over to her. She lays down beside the brunette, wrapping her arms protectively around her waist. "Shh," Nicky soothes, kissing her head tenderly, "I've got ya, kid. You'll be fine - you don't need someone like Vinny in your life. He's no good, all he did was hurt you. And you should never be hurt, you're too sweet and delicate." She takes Lorna's head in her hand, giving her a warm kiss to the lips, and then lovingly places it onto her chest. "No more men - We've got each other, kid, and frankly I think that's all we need. I love you; I'll take care of you, baby."


	3. The Fluffy Epilogue Of Love

The spring semester is nearly through, and Lorna's relationship with Nicky only continues to grow. After things ended with Vinny, Lorna began to realize the feelings that she had for her hard-headed, overly-loud, crazy-haired redhead roommate. Within days, the two grew so much closer and soon ended up becoming girlfriends. A lot of their free time was spent having sex – one of Nicky's favorite things to do, even more so with a beautiful woman such as Lorna – but also getting to know each other better.

* * *

Packing up her things, Lorna thinks of how to inform her family – mostly her parents – about her newfound relationship. They've never really been open to a lifestyle outside of their own, and were always the hardcore, conventional, Italian Catholic family. She knows her father, especially, won't take the news lightly. Sighing, she tries not to stress to much over it; she still has another day before they come to get her, surely, she'll think of a good way to approach bringing up such topic with them.

"What's got you so quiet over there, kid?" Nicky looks over at her from across the room. She spent the past several minutes silently observing the brunette – figuring that something must be bothering her, and she will most definitely get it out of her. She gets up and walks over to Lorna, wrapping her arms around her from behind. Pressing a warm kiss to the top of her head, she turns her so they're looking straight into each other's eyes, "What's going on in that pretty little head o' yours?" She gently uses her thumb to stroke the other's chin, her eyes soft as she looks at her.

Nicky's touch always brings a calming sensation over Lorna's body. She sighs and wraps her own arms around the taller woman's neck, reaching up to press a soft kiss to her lips. "I'm just nervous about what my parents will say – and when I say parents, I mostly mean my dad. He's so narrow-minded, I'm surprised his brain even fits in his head sometimes," she peers up into the eyes of her girlfriend, and can't help the smile that spreads across her face. "Let me warn you now – if he says, make that _when_ he says anything offensive, I'm really sorry. I'm sorry, in advance, for whatever my idiot father says tomorrow. But no matter what my parents think; they can't change how much I love you."

Pulling the shorter woman closer to her, Nicky feels a warm sensation go through her body. Hearing Lorna say that makes her overwhelmed with love and compassion for her. She takes her head in her arms and smashes their lips together in a warm kiss, "Don't worry about it, kid; I don't give a fuck what your dad says. As long as he doesn't say anything to hurt you, then we'll be fine. And you know, if he's really a hard-head about it – if he kicks you out over who you love, you can always come live with me. I love you so much, Lorna; and no matter what your family thinks, I'll be right here for ya, kid. Stop worrying about that for right now, and instead, let's go out for a coffee." She gives her a gentle squeeze, pressing a kiss to her head, and then lovingly walks out the door with her.

* * *

Nicky orders their coffees, and happily brings them over to the table Lorna chose to sit at. She smiles while handing one of the cups to the brunette. "What's a beautiful woman like you sitting here all alone?" She jokes, a smirk on her face. Though she does mean it when she says Lorna's beautiful – she's the most beautiful woman she's ever met, and she's beyond happy to call her her girlfriend. Sitting down opposite the brunette, she takes a sip of her coffee while staring lovingly at the other.

Lightly laughing, Lorna's cheeks blush a bright pink. She reaches for her cup and takes a big gulp – grinning at how flavorful it is, and also because Nicky remembered her favorite drink. "I love you, Nicky! You're the sweetest girlfriend in the whole world," she gushes, leaning across the table to cup the redhead's face in her hands. Slowly, she presses their lips together and strokes her face. She lets go, after a near minute long kiss, and smiles even bigger.

"I don't think so, kid," Nicky smirks, reaching her hand over to lovingly stroke Lorna's cheeks, "I believe the sweetest girlfriend title belongs to you. Ya big mush-ball! I love you, too; I always will, sweetie." She says, smiling as she stares into the eyes of her lover. She never imagined she could love anyone as much as she loves Lorna – nor did she ever think she would settle down with someone. But meeting Lorna has definitely changed her life, and for the better; something she's heard all semester from Red, who's called her every day to check in on her. And when Nicky told her about her roommate – the woman who made her heart melt the day she met her – she was quite shocked to hear it. No one ever expected that she would decide to stick with any one woman for longer than a week.

Shaking her head with a laugh, Lorna just stares at her. She sips her coffee while thinking silently to herself. Her first year of college has come to an end, and went in a much different direction than she had planned for it to go. But, nonetheless, she was happy with everything that happened and even more so for meeting Nicky. "Are you excited for tomorrow? To finally be done with schoolwork for the summer?"

Nodding her head, the taller woman places a smile on her face. She's definitely happy for the semester to be over – studying is not one of her strong suites, that's for sure. "I'm more happy that we'll have more time to spend together, kid. You're the one who did all the studying and shit – I spent most of my time going to parties. And next year, you're coming with me to them! No more goody-goody Lorna!" She laughs as she takes a hold of one of Lorna's hands, squeezing it lovingly in her own.

"Speaking of next year – we have to sign up to be roommates again," Lorna states, using her free hand to pick up her coffee and brings it to her lips for a sip. She's pleased that the two of them got along so well, and were now in a serious relationship – something she never would have thought to happen, at the beginning of the year. The regret she had for allowing Franny to fill out the form turned into gratefulness, because now she knows who her true soulmate is.

Nicky strokes her thumb around the petite woman's hand, looking at her with a grin. "I was thinking, that instead, we should rent an apartment together up here. It'd be much nicer, and we can go in half on the rent. What do ya think about that, kid?" She peers at her with her big brown eyes, secretly nervous to hear the other's answer. She really hopes Lorna likes the idea, otherwise she would be a bit embarrassed for having brought it up.

Beaming a glowing smile, Lorna nods her head enthusiastically. She can't even contain her excitement at the thought of living in an apartment, and with Nicky, that makes it even more exciting. She gets up and walks over to the redhead, gently yanking her out of the chair and wrapping her in a tight hug. "I love the sound of that, Nicky! It'll be so nice to have our own little place together, even if it's just for the school year. You are so smart for thinking of that! I love you so much," Lorna wraps her arms lovingly around her girlfriend's neck, planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Let's go back to our dorm, and make sweet, passionate love – all night long." She whispers into her ear, an innocent smile on her face.

Hearing that come out of the tiny brunette – the more conservative of the two – brings a smirk to Nicky's face as she wraps her arms snug around her waist. "You don't have tell me twice, kid. Let's get the hell outta here!" She scoops her into her arms, running out of the coffee shop, down the street and into the direction of their dorm. "We'll make love until we're kicked out of here tomorrow," she smirks, running her hand down Lorna's back as she continues to run to the building.

* * *

Nicky lays in her bed, her arms wrapped tight around Lorna, holding her as close to her as she can have her. She looks down at her, love deep in her big brown eyes; she lets her hand lightly caress Lorna's body and smiles warmly at her. "This is what love is, kid. Being held, and cuddled – and of course, having the most amazing sex ever – by a person who absolutely adores you, and can't see a life without you in it. What you and I have, baby, is love. What you had with those two idiots – Christopher and dick-face Vinny – that was your innocent, precious heart being taken advantage of," she whispers softly against the smaller woman's ear, running her hand gently up and down her back. She presses her lips warmly against the skin of Lorna's forehead. "I love you; I want to be with you, for the rest of my fucking life, kid. I really mean that, and I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you. You are the light of my life, baby."

Her eyes well up with happy tears as she looks up into Nicky's gentle eyes. She brushes their lips together in a soft kiss and says, "You're the sweetest thing ever, Nicky. And you can deny that all you want, but that doesn't make it any less true! You say the sweetest things to me, and make my heart melt every day." She wraps her arms tighter around the taller woman's neck, peppering it with soft kisses. Her hands stroke gentles circles all around Nicky's neck while she continues to press kisses all over it. "I love you more than anyone, especially more than those two. You are so much better than them, Nicky – nicer, sweeter, gentler, and much more loving. I can't see spending my life with anyone else other than you, sweetheart," Lorna murmurs gently into Nicky's ear. She couldn't ask for a better person to love or spend the rest of her life with than her Nicky.


End file.
